Madan Babu Bajracharya is a man of many firsts. From his claims to being the first to bring a radio and video set to Nepal, to declaring himself the first one to introduce plastic-coated lamination in the country, he takes most pride in being not only a Nepali, but Asia’s first and only camera collector.[break] For a man who lives in Old Thimi, in a house that brings to life the beauty of traditional Newar architecture, he is a very modern man.
Being born into a relatively well-off family that dealt with the gold and silver market, Bajracharya has made a name for himself for being anything but a businessman. His famous camera collection boasts an assortment of more than 70 different now-antique and classic cameras. He is renowned, among other things, for also being the owner of Jung Bahadur Rana’s (the first “prime minister” of Nepal and the founder of the Rana Dynasty) own personal camera that dates back to the late 19th century.
Back in 1964, when he saw the piece, the very idea of owning Jung Bahadur’s camera was a mammoth deal for him, as it was “Jung Bahadur’s very own, the legendary ruler’s camera!” So when he met a soldier in the Nepali Army who had it and was ready to sell, he says, “Obviously I wanted it!” At the time, he was a young man who had just opened up a shop in New Road repairing cameras.
Sadly, the camera’s salient details – country of origin, manufacturer, make, model, year of production, technical features, and so on – are not fully known. Bajracharya, however, thinks it is a vintage Delmeya, Model 9, from Britain.
For Madan Babu, his interest in photography stems from hours spent as a youngster flipping through technology magazines. His most prized possession today is a camera from just before the Second World War, and made in (East) Germany.
“This camera was unknown until very recently to even the Germans who made it!” he says with a wide and proud grin on his face. He talks about how he was initially apprehensive about showing off his “mediocre” collection to a fellow foreign collector. Little did he know that one of his cameras was so unique that the German collector himself had no account of it in his camera catalogue! This rarity happens to be an Ilford 120 Sports.
“My initial apprehension was replaced by an overwhelming pride, and even my nostrils were flaring!”
Without a glitch, he says, “I’m not an educated man.” And while he may have had no formal education, the man is a fountain of knowledge. He is happy to discuss everything from his prized possessions, his passion for cars, to his romantic antics as a young man, and even the current and changing climate of Nepali politics. His knowledge is sought after, according to him. People have asked him to teach, but he says “I won’t. After a lifetime of living on my own terms, there’s no way I’ll work under someone else.”
When asked if he is retired, he laughs and says, “Not living a retired life, just a relaxed one.” As for what is in store for the future, he simply shrugs, smiles cheekily and says, “Perhaps back to Mangalman (square one).”
What he is sure of, however, is his commitment to not allow his camera collection to leave Nepal. These possessions are so dear to his heart that they stay with him, in his very own personal bedroom.
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